


Deep Into The Night

by Techgirl



Category: Queer as Folk (US)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-07
Updated: 2015-03-07
Packaged: 2018-03-16 18:19:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,982
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3498152
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Techgirl/pseuds/Techgirl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A trick, a ruined painting, and two guys working deep into the night. </p><p>Timeline: After 309</p>
            </blockquote>





	Deep Into The Night

**Author's Note:**

> Beta by Later2nite.

Justin waited for the elevator to take him up to the loft. Tired after a long day at Vangard and the dinner shift at the diner, he was happy to know his school project was finished so he wouldn’t have to worry about it anymore. He’d tried out a new technique for painting letters and had deliberately worked on it slowly to keep his hand from cramping up, and the result looked fantastic. 

Entering the loft, he stopped dead in his tracks when he saw someone standing next to his easel with a thick black marker in his hand. “What the hell are you doing?”

The guy spun around. “Jesus! You scared me.”

He looked slightly familiar, and it took Justin a second to place him. He’d waited on him not more than an hour earlier, about the same time he’d brought Brian his coffee. Apparently Brian hadn’t wasted much time before taking him home. Walking up to him, Justin repeated his question and wrestled the marker out of his hand to make sure he wouldn’t do any more damage with it.

“Hey, take it easy. I only scribbled down my phone number in the corner of the picture.”

“It's not a fucking picture! Get out of here.”

“Calm down. It’s just a bunch of words, and they're still readable.”

“Now!”

Brian came out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his hips. “Didn’t I tell you to leave once I was done with you?” He shot the guy a glare before bending down to kiss Justin, who pushed him away. “What’s your problem?”

“Your trick du jour decided to leave his number on my painting.” Justin’s much too-even voice wasn’t lost on Brian.

He stared in disbelief at the digits written across the bottom of the painting. “How fucking stupid are you?” Taking a hold of the guy’s arm, he dragged him across the room.

“Come on! How was I supposed to know it was special? I mean, look at it. My number actually makes it worth ten times more.”

“Believe me, it doesn't.” Brian pushed him out the door, slid it shut, and rested his forehead against the cold surface. “How bad is it?”

“It’s ruined.” Justin calmly put the painting down on the floor and replaced it with a blank canvas.

Brian waited for an explosion that didn’t come. “It’s due tomorrow.”

“I know.” Justin mixed two colors together in a cup and placed it on the table next to him, then he looked for the fine brush he’d used for the letters. “I won’t make it, but I have to try at least.”

Brian was about to suggest that he turn in the finished painting and explain to his professor what had happened, but he stopped himself when he realized how stupid it was. He’d never do that if it was an ad he’d worked on for weeks. He slid his arms around Justin’s chest from behind and nuzzled his nose into his hair.

Justin closed his eyes, letting Brian’s breath on his skin calm him before he shrugged him off and dipped the brush into the paint.

Brian sat at his desk and fired up his computer to do some final changes to a contract. He glanced over at Justin and saw him staring into the air, his arm raised and the brush almost touching the surface of the canvas. Not that he was ever likely to admit it, but he had missed this, missed having him around. When Justin turned his head and smiled at him, Brian quickly stared back at the screen and pounded on the keys.

Studying the canvas for a long time, Justin knew he wouldn’t make it if he filled it with text again. Instead, he reached for his pastels and began to outline a background of flowers in pale colors, making them brighter and bolder towards the middle and down one side to create an image of a waterfall. Finally pleased with the result, he took it down from the easel, careful not to smudge the colors.

“Need help?”

“Can you bring the fixative?” Justin pointed to a can on the table. “I’m going outside to spray it so the smell won’t kill us.”

“It looks good. Is it done?”

Justin put the painting up against the wall. “Not even close. I’m going to start writing on it once it’s dry.”

“You're still going with the letters?” Brian handed him the can and stepped back so it wouldn’t get on his clothes. “Will you make it in time?”

“I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.”

Sharing a smoke while waiting for it to dry, Justin’s arm was around Brian’s waist and his hand sneaked under the hem of his t-shirt. “Can you make sure I’m up in time for school if I fall asleep on the sofa after it’s finished?”

Brian nodded and let Justin take the last drag before he snuffed out the butt.

Back at the easel, Justin flexed his hand and began to write the poem in Latin painfully slowly that needed to be part of the project. The text flowed over the pale flowers, leaving the more colorful side untouched. The second time he dropped the brush on the hardwood floor, Brian quietly found some old papers and put them around his feet, careful not to disturb him. “Aren’t you going to bed soon?”

“I’ve got some work to take care of.”

“You don’t have to babysit me, you know.”

“Believe it or not, the world doesn't revolve around you.” Brian smacked Justin’s ass and went back to his computer.

“Fuck!” Justin shouted minutes later, crouching to pick up the brush that had gotten away from him yet again. He ended up kneeling on the floor, clutching his right hand with his left.

Brian hurried over and sank down next to him. “Cramp?”

“Yeah.”

He took his hand carefully and massaged it until it relaxed enough for Justin to stretch his fingers. “Do you want something to eat?”

Justin nodded against Brian’s shoulder, pushing his t-shirt out of the way and touching his soft skin and the hard ridges underneath it. His hand still trembled a little as he nudged Brian’s chest until he fell backward to the floor. He ran his fingers over Brian’s hardened cock, pressing down on the bulge as he leaned forward and slid his tongue over his mouth. “Chicken sandwich and a Coke, please.”

Brian chuckled as he stood up and straightened his clothes. “And you claim to be the romantic one in this relationship.”

Staring at Brian’s back as he walked into the kitchen, Justin forced himself not to comment on that last word. He decided to take a break while waiting for the food and played around with his cell, thinking he should call Daphne to let her know he wouldn’t be coming home. Noticing how late it was, he put the phone down; she’d probably figured it out by now.

Brian glanced at it when he set the plate on the living room table, seeing Ethan’s name on the display. “Go ahead and call him. I’ll leave you alone.”

“Huh?” Justin reached out and stopped him from walking away. “Who are you talking about?” He frowned at him as he took a bite of the sandwich.

Brian held the phone out toward him.

“I was going to call Daphne, but I decided it was too late. Her name is right above his.” He pointed to the screen. “See?”

“Right.”

“And just to be clear, the only reason his name is still in my phone book is because I don’t care enough to remove it.”

"You're free to do whatever you want."

"Yeah, yeah." Justin was too tired to argue, but he smiled when Brian pulled him in for a mind blowing kiss. "I’ll need coffee in about an hour."

“So bossy.”

Justin nodded proudly and continued eating.

\----------

Brian walked around the loft, trying to find the energy to keep working. “That’s fucking beautiful.” He’d stopped behind Justin to study the painting. 

“Thanks! I think I need another break to let my hand rest before I do the final touches on it. What are you working on?”

“Nothing important. I’m just catching up on my e-mail, and I sent a bunch of documents to Cynthia for her to go through before the weekend.”

Justin lay down on the sofa and felt his eyes starting to flutter, but he was pulled out of sleep by Brian gently tugging on his hair. 

“Not yet.”

He sighed and pulled Brian down on top of him. “Just stay with me for awhile.”

Brian buried his face in his neck and inhaled the smell of paint and Justin, thinking someone should bottle it. Deciding he was so tired he was on the verge of becoming a lesbian, he pushed his cock into Justin’s and rocked against his body.

“God, that feels amazing.” Justin let himself enjoy it before he sat up. “Okay, I’m ready for one more bout with the brush.”

An hour later, he did the final stroke on the last letter and turned to Brian. “It’s finished! I actually made it. What time is it?”

“We have to leave in an hour. Go take a shower while I make more coffee.”

Pulling his clothes off, Justin scattered them across the floor as he walked towards the bathroom, shouting for Brian to please put a fan in front of the painting so it would dry faster. He stretched his sore muscles to bring them back to life and showered in water as cold as he could possibly stand to wake up.

\----------

“How many classes do you have today?” Brian asked as they were driving to PIFA.

“None. I’ll just hand it in and listen to what my professor has to say about it. I know I’m not scheduled to work today, but if you need me for something I can take the bus over to Vangard when I’m done here.”

“No, it’s fine. Take the day off.”

Justin got out of the car. “Thanks for staying up with me.”

“Anytime.”

“Later.”

Brian watched him walk away, then he picked up the folders he’d put in the backseat. Sitting back, he read through the papers in them, signed a couple, and made notes to Cynthia on others. When he got to the budget report, he turned the radio on to keep from falling asleep.

Justin opened the passenger side door. "What are you still doing here?” He noticed the papers in Brian’s lap. “Did you wait for me?”

"Yeah. Are you ready to spend the rest of the day in bed?”

“God, yes!”

“The loft or Daphne’s place?”

“The loft. Your bed is so much more comfortable than mine.”

\----------

“So, what did your professor think of it?” Brian asked, closing all the blinds to filter the sun out.

“He was very impressed by how I’d mixed two techniques together. I didn’t get the grade yet, but he didn’t seem to find anything negative to say.” Justin smiled at him. “The first painting was great, but this one is pretty perfect.”

“I’ll give you five thousand dollars for it.”

“No, I like it too much to sell it.” Justin pulled the covers up.

“Why be a starving artist when you don’t have to be?”

“I’m your starving artist. It’s okay,” he mumbled before he fell asleep.

Brian stared into the darkness for a long time. He finally nodded and got up to call Cynthia. "I’m not coming in today. Everything you need is already in your inbox."

"Is something wrong?" Cynthia checked the calendar, relieved that she didn’t have to cancel anything too important.

"No."

"Is Justin okay?"

"Everyone’s just fucking peachy."

"Are you coming back to bed?" Justin’s voice traveled across the room. 

Cynthia giggled, and Brian hung up without a word.


End file.
